Typography
Overview Typography is the art and technique of setting and creating type. Typography is a means of communication that entails arranging type in a comprehensible and visually appealing way. Definition Typography is a technique that originated in conjunction with the introduction of the of the Gutenberg to the west in the Holy Roman Empire around the year of 1440. The latest Encyclopedia Britannica defines typography as “The design, or selection, of letter forms to be organized into words and sentences to be disposed in blocks of type as printing upon a page.” The encyclopedia then further discusses that the craft of typography encompasses the entire printing process of choosing ink types, selection of paperweight and kind, as well as the method of printing. The Collins English dictionary has a definition parallel to that of the Encyclopedia Britannica, due to the fact that its definition also highlights the printed publication by defining typography as “the art, craft, or process of composing type and printing from it.” According to both of these definitions typography is exclusive to printed text. However, these definitions exclude any typographic work that existed before the implementation of movable type, as well as eluding all modern digital forms of typesetting. It is important to note that these definitions are not finite and often do not clearly demarcate what is considered typography. The craft of typography is ever changing and dynamic; therefore in many cases these definitions are not flexible enough to encompass this craft. Ultimately, typography encompasses a wide range of medium from hand drawn calligraphy through digital type seen on electronic screens. Rather then focus on medium choice one instead must focus on the importance of technique of arranging type, and the intricate elements of type design. Typography can be performed typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic designers, art directors, comic book artists and even graffiti artists. Typography utilizes both the typeface and the negative space around it to formulate its design and communicative art. The choice of typeface and font choice are equally as important as the spacing around the letters. The spacing around the letters consist of kerning or space between letters, tracking or space between groups of letters and leading or the space between lines of type. Although typography has large range and many elements it shares the same goal. Typography aims to reveal the character of the text, invite the reader into the text, and clarify the order and structure of the text. History The art of typography and its techniques has many ancient predecessors that play an integral part in the creation of typography, as we know it today. There have been crafts very similar to typography that can be traced back to the first type of messages, known as pictographs. Ideographs, abstract symbols used to represent events, a more sophisticated form of communication shortly followed the pictograph. Although the history of symbols used as written messages can be traced back to primitive roots, it was truly revolutionized around the 15th century. The word typography itself comes from the Greek roots words of τύπος, typos meaning impression and –''γραφία'',-graphical meaning writing. For example, in the year 1440 Gutenberg press and movable type were introduced, thus replacing the former way of communication which entailed using scribes to recreate handwritten works and publications, by creating the first typeface of Black letter, invented to mimic the style of monk handwriting. Throughout history typography has been ever changing and is greatly influenced by technological advances and cultural shifts. As civilization advanced and writing became more accessible to audience’s typography also advanced. Type became tailored to the communicative and reading need of society as seen with the invention of roman type by Nicolas Jenson in the year 1470, a more readable type than black letter. The next major innovation in typography was the invention of italics created by Aldus Manutius, which are used to this day to communicate importance and emphasize words or ideas in writing across media. Type continued to evolve through the years with the introduction of old style type such as Caslon, transitional type such as Baskerville, and fresh looking modern type such as Didot, and Bodoni. Typography and synchronization of type and media took made a large advancement in the year 1816 when William Caslon IV created the first Sans Serif typeface. The increasing popularity of advertisements increased the demand for Sans Serif fonts to accommodate advertising needs. Helvetica is a prime example of the synchronization of typography and advertisements and media. Since its introduction in the year 1957, Helvetica has been utilized greatly by Corporate America for its uniformity and legibility and is commonly used for short text works such as logos, billboards, headlines and captions. The craft of typography soon became accessible to everyone with the large technological advancement of the computer. Today design typography and design both greatly benefit from the abundance of typefaces now available. The digital revolution has initiated the creation of a vast array of ways for a person to publicize their typeface publication. The increasing popularity of the Internet, online blogs and digital circulation has provided many with the materials they need to be successful in typography. Many including typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic designers, art directors, comic book artists and even graffiti artists, can partake in the craft of typography thanks to the digital revolution in design. Due to large amount of typographic elements that has grown it is now the job of the designer to choose the correct arrangement of their chosen typeface find a practical typographic solution to the written word that is being provided to them by a client for an audience not only across one media source such as printed works, but also to multi-modal forms of writing. Examples Typography that reveals the character of the text: The feeling that a reading can initially convey has a direct relationship with the typeface that is chosen. Typography is aimed to reveal the character and honor the content of the text. When looking at the examples below the typography on the left is an example of the appropriate choice for a piece of writing that is meant to describe the "Impact on Private Equity." This is the appropriate example of typography for this specific writing because the large font size displays a sense of importance and the use of a serif typeface conveys a sense of seriousness. The font choice of the subtext also bold power due to its weight while its size when compared to the title of the written work directly informs the reader of the structure in which the text is intended to be read. Typography that''' keeps people reading': Typography does not only have a direct relationship with the content that is being read but it also has a direct correlation on whether the audience will want to commence the reading as well as whether or not they will continue reading it. Although typography should attract the reader it is a craft that is not strictly concerned with the aesthetic appeal of the text. On the contrary, typography aims to make the reading experience practical and useful. Although the example on the right may be more attention grabbing, the overuse of colors, typefaces and background color make the text almost illegible and creates an unsettling visual/reading experience. Therefore, the example on the left is an example of exemplary typography because it is clear, simple and easier to read. Examples in Advertising: Typography has become a crucial part in today's advertising world. Designers achieve this by producing particular typefaces and lay them out to set a theme and/or mood for the text in an advertisement. A balance between visual aspects and communicational skills must be achieved in order for the design to attract a sort of audience. Choices of typeface and design along with efficient use of layout, color, object illustrations, and image are what make designing an advertisement successful. Certain typography designs in today's society can reflect a company's brand and/or logo. Using Typography in an design has become a crucial part to promote a particular product in an advertisement. Now days, almost all designs are incorporated digitally due to digital technology becoming the major medium to creating an advertisement with. This has enabled designers to creatively experiment with Typography and typeface layouts in oppose to more traditional typefaces. An example of a more creative sort of advertisement that contains the use of typography is Image 1 to the right. Over time, the evolution of typefaces containing typography originated from hand written designs. Typography in advertising has developed gradually into a digital form over the course of time. '''Keywords' Typeface type Graphic Design Graffiti Advertising Resources and Further reading Improving Everyone's Reading Experience: The Essentials of Web Typography: by Indra Kupferschmd This article written in 2006 for PrintMag.com discusses the direct relationship and impact web typography has on its users and their online reading experience. This article is useful in problem solving issues that may arise when setting type online such as kerning, font size and font justification. Telling Through Type: Typography and Narrative in Legal Briefs: by Derek Kiernan-Johnson This article discusses the innovative way the 6 principles of typography are being used in legal briefs by lawyers. This article is useful in explaining how type design elements are being explored by the legal world to reinforce and complement persuasive arguments. Letterpress Language: Typography as a Medium for the Visual Representation of Language: by Johanna Drucker. The article examines the the properties of typography found in three letterpress printed works. This article is very useful in providing its readers a further understanding of how to incorporate all properties of type including size, weight, shape, placement and type styles to successfully "extend the meaning of a written text". Anatomy of a Typeface'': by Alexander Lawson. This book talks about different classification of typefaces by introducing their differences and similarities with the historical background in between. Its purpose is to educate people on choosing the most effective typefaces in their designs. Typography: Body and Dress of a Text - a Signing Mode between Language and Image: by Hartmut Stöckl This article explores the relationship between semiotics and typography. It uses two sample texts to show how typography interacts with the textual signing modes and how typographical meaning has been communicated effectively through the designs of texts. '''Citations:' Biľak, Peter. "What Is Typography? by Peter Biľak." Typotheque. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2015. . Preece, Warren E. "Typography." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Feb. 2015. Web. 5 Dec. 2015. . "Typography (taɪˈpɒɡrəfɪ ) ." Definition of “typography”. Collins English Dictionary, 2015. Web. 18 Dec. 2015. <https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/typography> Kyrnin, Jennifer. "What Is Typography?" About.com Tech. About Tech, 24 Nov. 2014. Web. 18 Dec. 2015. http://webdesign.about.com/od/fonts/qt/typography-basics.htm. Hill, Danielle. "What Is Typography? | The Importance Of Typography In Web Design." Bop Design. N.p., 08 July 2013. Web. 18 Dec. 2015. https://www.bopdesign.com/bop-blog/2013/07/what-is-typography/.